Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing

Within the demon cave, deep in the darkness, a young man of extraordinary bearing slowly opened his eyes, surprise evident in his gaze. His features bore a 60% resemblance to Fan Hongwei. At first glance, he appeared no different from a human, but a closer look revealed a strange sheen on his skin. This was the puppet Fan Hongwei had left behind long ago. Embedded within it was a fragment of his consciousness.

The young man said with genuine surprise, "He actually made it out of the demon realm alive! A mere Divine Repository realm martial artist stayed in there for over five months. His fortune truly is extraordinary."

This puppet had merely been a casual move, a piece placed on the board without much expectation. After all, there were many cultivators blessed with great fortune, but few who could seize an opportunity amid life-and-death danger and emerge alive. Aura-reading and divination were not infallible. They merely revealed various possibilities, allowing Fan Hongwei to scatter pieces across the board on a whim. Most ultimately failed, and only a handful succeeded, yet when one of those pieces paid off, the rewards were often substantial.

"Interesting. Very interesting." A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Rising slowly to his feet, he released his perception, which spread outward and enveloped several kilometers in every direction. Suddenly, an odd expression crossed his face.

The puppet's expression grew increasingly amused. "Hm? Are these people after that brat, too? Two groups and four False Core cultivators... and they're all dual cultivators of the Immortal and Martial Daos. Are they trying to play the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waits behind? Interesting..."

Although this body was merely a puppet, it contained a fragment of Fan Hongwei's divided soul and retained much of his way of thinking. Moments ago, when he spread out his spiritual sense, he detected four hidden figures lurking in the darkness. After examining them more closely, he discovered that they, too, were targeting Xiao Yu. That made things considerably more interesting.

A faint smile tugged at Fan Hongwei's lips as he considered the matter. "I'll let them make the first move and test him. This Xiao Yu may be a crude martial artist, but he's clearly someone blessed with great fortune. He might possess a powerful dharma treasure."

This puppet possessed only early-stage Golden Core realm strength, not absolute power. If Xiao Yu had truly encountered a great opportunity in the demon realm and obtained some powerful dharma treasure, an unexpected attack might actually allow him to escape. The appearance of these four False Core cultivators could not have been more timely. They would conveniently help uncover Xiao Yu's true capabilities and save him the trouble.

The youthful-looking puppet strolled forward at an unhurried pace, wearing an easygoing expression. His figure flickered once before vanishing into the darkness to await Xiao Yu's departure from the Demon-Suppressing Army camp.

After a long wait, Fan Hongwei's expression shifted slightly as he turned toward the camp's exit.

He's out!

The puppet stared into the empty air with visible surprise. "What incredible speed! Is this little fellow really a martial artist? His understanding of Spatial laws surpasses that of many cultivators in the Golden Core realm. Did he gain this from an opportunity in the demon realm...?"

According to the memories inherited from his original body, Xiao Yu had always been fast, but nowhere near this fast. After all, even Fan Hongwei himself had never witnessed Lin Zheyu using the Earth Shrinking Technique.

"A divine ability similar to the Earth Shrinking Technique... Now you've become even more interesting. Heh, heh..."

The puppet let out a strange chuckle and silently followed after him. It was only natural for a cultivator blessed with profound fortune to have encountered opportunities throughout his cultivation journey. However... Those opportunities belonged to him now.

The puppet was brimming with confidence. Lin Zheyu had demonstrated impressive insight into the laws and astonishing speed, but those feats were only remarkable by Foundation Establishment realm standards. This puppet possessed genuine Golden Core realm strength. Though only at the early stage, the materials used in its construction had been exceptionally precious, giving it defensive capabilities comparable to a mid-stage Golden Core realm cultivator.

No matter how powerful a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator might be, they were still only at the Foundation Establishment realm. Between the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms lay an enormous gulf. Otherwise, the saying 'Once a Golden Core enters the belly, my fate belongs to me rather than the heavens' would never have come into existence.

In Fan Hongwei's eyes, using an early Golden Core realm puppet against a crude martial artist like Xiao Yu was a task as effortless as reaching into one's pocket.

***

The moment Lin Zheyu left the Demon-Suppressing Army camp, the golden Heavenly Eye within his sea of consciousness snapped open. His perception surged to its limit, and everything within a radius of more than forty kilometers instantly appeared within his awareness.

"One, two, three, four, five... Hm... There are actually five people waiting outside for me, and they're split into three groups. Four False Core cultivators. Dual cultivators of the Immortal and Martial Daos? And one more... Huh? A puppet? That appearance and aura feel familiar. Is that that old bastard Fan Hongwei's puppet?" A trace of surprise flashed through Lin Zheyu's eyes.

Fan Hongwei's departure was not surprising. What astonished Lin Zheyu was that the man had actually left behind a Golden Core realm puppet here. Even after all this time, the old bastard still hadn't forgotten about him. He did not know whether to laugh or curse.

After taking stock of the three groups, Lin Zheyu muttered to himself, "Every one of them is as sly as a fox. They're all trying to play the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waits behind."

A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Each of them believed themselves to be the hunter and everyone else the prey. Little did they know that every move they made had already fallen under Lin Zheyu's watchful eye.

"Every last one of them wants me dead. Do they really think I'm some soft target they can bully at will? They all deserve to die." Lin Zheyu spoke softly, a fierce killing intent flashing through his eyes.

He had already made up his mind. He would kill every one of them within the demon cave and use their deaths to vent the frustration and humiliation he had just endured at Sun Zhenzhi's hands. With that thought in mind...

Lin Zheyu glanced back toward the Demon-Suppressing Army camp. There, a colossal phantom that seemed both divine and demonic stood silently above the camp, suppressing the space-time node beneath it. The terrifying figure had been condensed from the military formation formed by countless Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers, and its power was unimaginably formidable.

Back in the camp, Lin Zheyu had genuinely wanted to ignore the consequences and smash Sun Zhenzhi into pieces with a single punch. He had wanted to vent all the anger and resentment that had been bottled up inside him.

He had little to lose and few weaknesses for others to exploit. At worst, he could flee and begin life anew under another identity. That was, of course, assuming the military formation did not exist.

With the military formation present, he did not dare act. If he struck, he would die. The overwhelming sense of danger that had gripped his heart and made every hair on his body stand on end had warned him of that fact with absolute certainty.

Lin Zheyu understood that the instant he attacked, a catastrophic disaster would descend upon him. Compared to momentary satisfaction, preserving his life was far more important. As long as he remained alive, there would always be opportunities. Temporary humiliation was insignificant when weighed against survival.

"Sun Zhenzhi... Heh. Enjoy the time you have left. Very soon... Very soon, I'll come looking for you again." Lin Zheyu's voice was barely above a whisper.

If this man remained alive, the grievance would linger in his heart. And when one's heart was troubled, one's thoughts became obstructed. Obstructed thoughts led easily to heart demons during cultivation.

Lin Zheyu considered himself a kind person. He usually treated others well, maintained a peaceful disposition, and occasionally even helped people out of goodwill. All he wanted was to cultivate in peace and enjoy life at his own leisurely pace. Unfortunately, there always seemed to be people determined to make things difficult for him.

The wind howled past him. Stepping through the void, Lin Zheyu sped deeper into the demon cave. Sun Zhenzhi could wait for now. The priority was to find a secluded location and deal with the three groups tailing him. As far as he was concerned, not a single one of them would be leaving alive.

***

Within the Demon-Suppressing Army camp, the alluring dancers continued their graceful performance.

Upon hearing Sun Zhenzhi's request, Wei Meng agreed without hesitation. A thought passed through his spiritual sense, transmitting a message. Moments later, the figure of a middle-aged man slowly emerged inside the tent.

His expression was calm, his eyes as still as an ancient well. An aura that kept strangers at a distance naturally emanated from him.

He casually cupped his hands toward Wei Meng and addressed him as Young Master before taking up a silent position to the side. He did not even glance at Sun Zhenzhi.

A mere mid-stage Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, even one backed by an Imperial Grand Dowager Consort, was not worthy of the middle-aged man's regard. If Sun Zhenzhi wanted his respect, his current aptitude was insufficient. At the very least, he would have to reach the Golden Core realm first.

Sun Zhenzhi paid it no mind. In a world where strength reigned supreme, he had long since grown accustomed to such treatment. His cousin, the Imperial Grand Dowager Consort, had merely provided him with opportunities. The man before him belonged to the same circle of influential figures. More importantly, he was not Sun Zhenzhi's subordinate and had no reason to cater to him.

"Uncle Ping, I need to trouble you with a task. Take the tracking artifact and capture that person. Remember, don't return to the Demon-Suppressing Army. Once you've captured him, simply notify me," Wei Meng said with a smile. Afterward, he glanced at Sun Zhenzhi, signaling him to hand over the tracking artifact.

Sun Zhenzhi produced the artifact and said with proper courtesy, "Senior, this is the tracking artifact. I'll leave the matter in your hands."

The middle-aged man accepted the artifact and gave a slight nod. "Mhm."

His figure flickered and vanished from the tent. Sun Zhenzhi and Wei Meng exchanged knowing smiles. Just as they were about to resume drinking, the middle-aged man abruptly reappeared inside the tent.

Wei Meng asked in surprise, "Uncle Ping, did something happen?"

The middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged as he tossed the tracking artifact back to Sun Zhenzhi. "The tracking mark has been removed. If you have no other means of tracking him, then I'll be taking my leave."

Sun Zhenzhi exclaimed in shock, "How is that possible?! That mark was planted using the power of the military formation. How could a crude martial artist possibly remove it?"

The tracking mark had been planted with the aid of the military formation's power. Even a mid-stage Golden Core realm cultivator would struggle to notice it unless they possessed exceptional talent and extraordinarily sharp spiritual intuition.

Erasing it was another matter entirely. Even if it had somehow been discovered, a mere Divine Repository realm martial artist should never have been capable of removing it so quickly. It simply made no sense.

Coming back to his senses, Sun Zhenzhi forced a bitter smile and respectfully cupped his hands. "No, that's all. Sorry to have troubled you, Senior."

The middle-aged man glanced at Wei Meng. Seeing that there were no further instructions, he disappeared from the tent once more.

Wei Meng smiled generously and said, "Brother Sun, if you need any assistance, just say the word."

Barring extraordinary fortune, Wei Meng's aptitude would likely carry him no further than the Golden Core realm after a century or so of cultivation. Without some tremendous opportunity, the Nascent Soul realm was beyond his reach.

Yet while he lacked talent, he possessed something equally valuable, a powerful elder sister. The resources she provided enabled him to build relationships and make friends with promising cultivators. Sun Zhenzhi, who had grown up alongside him, was one such investment.

"Not for now." Sun Zhenzhi smiled and waved his hand. Yet Lin Zheyu's figure kept surfacing in his mind. That man definitely possessed a tremendous secret.

"I will get my hands on it."

A flash of greed flickered through Sun Zhenzhi's eyes before vanishing. Countless schemes ran through his mind as he considered how to pry the secrets hidden within Xiao Yu from him and claim them for himself.